Shipping containers for books



Nov. 20, 1962 T. G. MAIRS 3,0

' SHIPPING CONTAINERS FOR BOOKS Filed April 12, 1960 2 sheets-sheet 1 f; G 3 INVENTOR 7720 97 as 6. Ma/r's BY gwma Nov. 20, 1962 T. G. MAIRS 3,0

SHIPPING CONTAINERS FOR BOOKS Filed April 12. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MENTOR Thomas 6. Mai/"s ATTORNEY 3,064,875 SHIPPING CUNTAINERS FOR BOGKS Thomas G. Mair-s, St. Paul, Minn, assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Apr. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 21,694 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-40) This invention relates to an improvement in shipping containers for books and similar objects in which the ends of the objects are effectively cushioned to prevent damage thereto.

Books are oftentimes shipped in sleeves or folders made of heavy paperboard or corrugated paperboard designed to protect the surfaces of the book from damage. Most of the damage which occurs to the books through shipping is experienced on the top and bottom edges of the book. In the event the corners of the folders become dented inwardly, the walls of the folder engage against the pages of the book and deform the corners of the pages so that the book is permanently injured. The denting in of the corners of the folder outwardly of the binding often causes the binding to crack or be injured thus also permanently injuring the book. It is a purpose of the present invention to avoid this previous difficulty.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a simple folder for books which is folded to provide a hollow space at each end of the container. Accordingly in the event the corners of the folder are dented inwardly, no injury to the pages or the binding of the book will result.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a book container including hollow ends which act as a cushion for the book or other article being shipped.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a folder which may be used for shipping a book or similar article, and which may be reclosed if desired after it has been opened so as to form a permanent container for the book and from which the book may be removed when desired.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the shipping container in closed position.

FIGURE 2. is a perspective view of an end of the container shown in FiGURE 1 in partially closed position.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view through the center of the container on a plane parallel to the sides thereof, or substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view through the end of the container, the position of the section being indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the folder is formed.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the modified form of construction.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the container of FIGURE 6 in partially closed position.

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal section through the container shown in FIGURES 6 and 7.

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the container of FIGURES 6 through 8 is formed.

The manner in which the container A is made in blank form is illustrated best in FIGURE 5. The container includes four wall panels 113, 11, 12 and 13 foldably connected along parallel fold lines 14, 15, and 16. A glue flap or stitch flap 17 is foldably connected to a side wall panel 13 along a fold line 19. The stitch flap 17 is nor- 3,064,875 Patented Nov. 20, 1962 mally stitched or adhered to the panel lit to form a tubular container.

The panel 19. which in the drawings forms the bottom panel of the container is foldably connected at each end by a fold line 2!} to. an end closure flap 21. Each flap. 21 is foldably connected along a fold line. 22 which is parallel to the fold lines Ztl to an end flange or flap 23.

Short flaps 24 are foldably connected to the .ends of the side wall 11. along extensions ofthe fold line. 24 Similar end flaps 25 are foldably connected to the ends of the sidewalls 13 along fold lines 25, which are aligned with the fold lines iii.

A cushion flap 27 is foldably connected to eachend of the wall panel 12. along fold lines 29 which are. oflset inwardly to some extent from the fold lines Ztinand 26. The fold lines 29 terminate. short of the fold lines 15 and 15 connecting the panel 12 to the side walls 11 and 13. Cut lines 3d extend in substantially parallel relation from the opposite ends of the fold line 2) to the outer extremities 31 of the panel 12. Cut lines 32 extend from the cut lines 3% to the side edges ,or" the panel 12, the .cut lines 32 being substantially. alignedwith the fold lines Ztland 26. The cut lines 30 and 32 act to divide the ends of the panel 12 into an intermediate portion which forms a part of the flap 27 and outer side portions which extend between the cut lines and the side edges of, the panel 12.

The cushioning flap 27 is substantially equal in length to the width of the side wall panels 11 and 13 so as to extend across the container at a point spaced from the container ends. Flanges 33 are hingedly connected to the ends of the cushioning flaps 27 along fold lines 3.4. The flanges 33 are substantiallyv equal in length to the distance between the fold lines 29 and the end edges 31 of the panel 12.

As indicated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, inclosing each end of the container A, the cushioning flaps 27 are folded inwardly across the end of the cartons, the end flanges 33 being arranged in face contact with the inner surface of the wall panel 19. The side Wall flaps 24and 25 are then folded inwardly into a common plane and the closing flap 21 is folded to close the end of the carton. The end closure panels 21 are folded to overlie the inwardly folded flaps 24' and 25 and the flaps or flanges 23 are then folded against the. outer surface ofthe panel 12 and are adhered thereto. In preferred form, the flaps 23 are longer than the distance between the fold lines 29 and the ends 31 of the panel 12, so that the marginal edge of the flaps 23 may be adhered in face contact with the panel 12.

As seen in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, this arrangement provides a container with hollow end portions 35 which hold the book B or similar article packed spaced from the end closure flaps 2,1. As a result, if any of the corners of the carton are dented inwardly or become damaged, the hollow ends protect the product.

The carton C illustrated in FIGURES 6 through 9 of the drawings is virtually identical with the carton A with the exception of the dimensions of certain of the parts. The wall panels 36, 37, 39 and 4t) correspond generally to the wall panel 10, 11, '12 and 13, and the glue flap 41 corresponds to the glue flap 17. Closure panels 42 are hingedly connected to the ends of the panel 36 along parallel fold lines 43 and flaps 44 are hingedly connected to the end edges of the closure panel 42 along fold lines 45. End flaps 46 are foldably connected to the ends of the side wall 37 along continuations of the fold lines 43 and similar end flaps 47 are hineedly connected to the ends of the side wall 40 along fold lines 49 which are aligned with the fold lines 43.

Cushioning flaps 5d are foldably connected to opposite end portions of the panel 39 along parallel fold lines 51 v which are inwardly oifset from the fold lines 43 and 49 which terminate short of the side edges of the panel 39. Curved or angular cut lines 52 and 53 extend from the end of the fold lines 51 to the end corners of the panel 39, these out lines 52 and 53 dividing the ends of the panel 39 into an intermediate portion which forms a part of the flaps 50 and opposite or opposed side portions between the cut lines 52 and 53 and the side edges of the panel 39 at the end extremities thereof. Flanges 54 are foldably connected to the cushioning flaps 54 along fold lines 55.

As in the container A, the cushioning flaps d are of proper length to extend across the tubular carton near the end thereof, and the flanges 54 are of proper length to extend in face contact with the inner surface of the wall panel 36, terminating along the fold lines 43 connecting the panel 36 to the end closure panels 42. In the carton C, the fold line 51 is spaced from the aligned fold lines 43 and 49 a distance substantially equal to the length of the tuck flaps 44. As a result, with this arrangement, the tuck flaps 44 may extend between the side Wall end flaps 46 and 47 and the inner surface of the portions of the wall panel 39 which are between the cut lines 52 and 53 and the side edges of the panel. In other words, the

flaps 44 comprise tuck flaps which merely tuck into place rather than lying outwardly thereof. The manner in which the container is closed is identically to that previously described in conjunction with the container A except that the flaps 44 are tucked into place rather than adhered to the outer surface of the opposed panel.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in shipping containers for books, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A shipping container for .boks and the like including four wall panels arranged in tubular relation, and an end closure at each end of said wall panels, each end closure including a closure panel hinged to one wall panel, a flap hingedly connected to the end of said closure panel, end flaps hinged to the two opposed wall panels adjoining said one wall panel, a cushioning flap hingedly connected directly to the wall panel opposite said one panel along a fold line spaced from, and parallel to, the end of said opposite wall panel, the fold line terminating short of the fold lines connecting said opposite panel to said two opposed panels, cut lines extending from the ends of said fold line to the adjacent end of said opposite panel and to the side edges of said opposite panel at the end thereof, said cushioning flap being of a length substantially equally to the Width of said opposed wall panels and of proper length to extend to said one wall, and an end flange on said cushioning flap foldable in face contact with said one panel, the end of said end flap abutting the closure panel when said end closure is closed. 7 2. The structure of-claim l and in which said flap on said closure panel is foldable into face contact with the portions of said opposite panel between said cut lines and the side edges thereof. 7

3. A shipping container for books and the like including four Wall panels arranged in tubular relation, and an end closure at each end of said wall panels each end closure including a closure panel hinged'to one wall panel, a flap hingedly connected to the end of said closure panel, end flaps hinged to the two opposed wall panels adjoining said one wall panel, a cushioning flap hingedly connected directly to the wall panel opposite said one panel along a fold line spaced from, and parallel to, the end of said opposite wall panel, the fold line terminating short of the fold lines connecting said opposite panel to said two opposed panels, cut lines dividing the end of each said opposite panel into an intermediate portion and opposed side portions, said intermediate portion forming a part of said cushioning flap, said cushioning flap being of proper length to extend across said tubular container to said one wall, and an end flange on said cushioning flap foldable into face contact with said one panel and having its end edge abutting said closure panel in closed position thereof, said flap on said closure panel being foldable in face contact with the said opposed side portions of said opposite panel and having its end edge abutting said cushioning flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 283,065 Bloch Aug. 14, 1883 1,039,026 Carter Sept. 17, 1912 2,046,562 Kane et a1. July 7, 1936 2,675,166 Main Apr. 13, 1954 

